Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/19

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. 19 fields, and gathered 35.000 men, few, but valiant. The king of England had above 100,000 foot, and 10,000 horſe: with which multitude, intending to deſtroy the inhabitants of Scotland, and to divide the land to his followers, he came to Bannockburn, (two miles from Stirling,) where on June 21ſt, 1314, he was encountered by the Scots, and after long and hard fighting, his great army put to the rout; himſelf, with a ſmall company, fleeing into Dumbar, was ſent by the Earl of March into England in a fiſher-boat, leaving 200 noblemen and gentlemen killed by the Scots, and as many taken: the number of the commons ſlain and taken was incredible. Of Scots were ſlain two gentlemen of note, Sir William Wepont, and Sir Walter Roſs, with 4000 common ſoldiers.

After this victory, Stirling being yielded, and Dumbarton gotten by compoſition, the Earl of March, the lord Soules, and Abernethy, and others of the Cummings' allies, were reconciled to the king, who paſt into the Iſles, and brought them to obedience, taking John of Lorn captive, who died in priſon in Lochleven. Thus Scotland was freed of the bondage of England, except Berwick, which was recovered four years thereafter, 1318, and the Scots making divers incurſions into England, under the leading of Earl Thomas Randal, and James lord Douglas, requited the harms received from them before, and enriched themſelves with their ſpoil.

As for the Authority of theſe two hiſtories, altho' they poſſibly err in ſome circumſtances of time, place, and number, or names of men, yet generally they write the truth of the ſtory of thoſe times, both at greater length, and upon more certain information, than those who have written our Chronicles. So committing them to thy diligent peruſal, (gentle and courteous reader;) I wiſh thee profit thereby, and all happineſs from God. Farewel.

A ſhort ACCOUNT of the BATTLE of BANNOCKBURN, which was fought, June 24th, 1314.

EDWARD II kept up the ſame claim in Scotland which his father had begun: and, after ſeveral unſucceſsful attempts to eſtablish it, he reſolved to make a great effort, and at ones reduce that turbulent nation, which had put ſo many ſignal affronts upon his father and himſelf.